JP2014009948A - Route information service system and navigation device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a route information service system for indicating multiple travel routes to be candidates for the movement from a present position to a destination by using an own vehicle with the use of travel track information related to the actual travel track of other vehicles, and also to provide a navigation device to be used in the system.SOLUTION: A route information service system sets a destination range and a present position range in the circumferences of a destination and a present position of an own vehicle (S14), performs processing to sort travel track information of other vehicles stored in a collection information storage area into multiple travel routes passing a destination range and a present position range (S22), and displays sorted travel routes in a navigation device of an own vehicle. Thus, the usage of the route information service system 1 allows a driver of an own vehicle to flexibly select a guide route from a present position to a destination with the use of travel track information based on the actual travel of other vehicles by selecting one of displayed travel routes.

Description

  The present invention relates to a route information providing system for selecting an actual travel locus of another vehicle and displaying a plurality of travel routes targeted for selection, and a navigation device used in this system.

  In the conventional traffic information distribution device, the degree of difficulty in passing (prohibition of traffic or occurrence of traffic jams) when the probe car moves between certain positions (for example, between intersections) is determined, and information on the degree of difficulty in passing is determined by the navigation device. Has been delivered to.

  And the navigation apparatus mounted in each vehicle is searching for a guidance route using the traffic difficulty distributed from this traffic information distribution apparatus (patent document 1).

JP 2010-079843 A

  However, in the conventional navigation device, the search for the guidance route is mechanically performed according to a predetermined rule (for example, the shortest time route and the fuel efficiency) while considering the above-described difficulty of passing. Good route).

  Therefore, even if there is a travel route that deviates from this fixed rule and can be moved in a shorter time, the travel route is not searched as a guide route, and the guide route searched according to the fixed rule. However, it was not always the best for each driver.

On the other hand, there is a possibility that other drivers know about the travel route that does not follow the above-mentioned certain rules and have already been utilized.
Therefore, the present invention uses a travel locus information related to an actual travel locus of another vehicle, and provides a route information providing system that indicates a plurality of travel routes that are candidates when moving from the current position to the destination by the host vehicle, An object of the present invention is to provide a navigation device used in this system.

  In order to achieve this object, in the route information providing system according to claim 1, first, the range setting means (S <b> 14) detects the current position of the vehicle detected by the current position detection means (21), the destination designation means ( The destination range and the current position range are set around the destination specified in 24). In this route information providing system, the travel locus storage means (31a) stores travel locus information related to the travel locus of a plurality of other vehicles.

  In the route information providing system, the sorting unit (S22) is configured to perform the same travel route for a plurality of travel tracks passing through the destination range and the current position range among the travel tracks stored in the travel track storage unit. The display means (23, S32) displays a plurality of travel routes that are the objects of the selection.

  In other words, when the system of the present invention is used, it is shown what travel route the other vehicle is moving from the current position to the destination, so the driver of the own vehicle moves from the current position to the destination. In this case, it is possible to select a flexible travel route that deviates from the above-described certain rule.

  Next, as in the route information providing system according to claim 2, there is provided travel time setting means (S26) for setting a representative travel time that is a predicted travel time when traveling on each travel route, and displays When displaying a plurality of travel routes on the means, it may be displayed with the representative travel time.

In this way, since the representative travel time expected when traveling on each travel route is known, the travel route can be selected flexibly according to the departure time.
In addition, in this way, when there is a travel route having a shorter travel time to the destination than when traveling on the guide route searched by the above-described certain rule, it is possible to select the travel route. Become.

  The navigation apparatus used in the route information providing system of the present invention comprises a current position detecting means, a destination specifying means, and a display means as described in claim 5, and communicates with the center apparatus through communication means. It should be configured to be possible.

  Incidentally, the reference numerals in parentheses for each of the above means are examples showing the correspondence with the specific means described in the embodiments described later, and the present invention is indicated by the reference numerals in the parentheses of the above respective means. It is not limited to specific means.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of a route information providing system 1 of the present embodiment. It is a flowchart of the guidance route selection process performed with the route information provision system 1 of this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing about the information for transmission produced in the route information provision system 1 of this embodiment. It is a schematic diagram of the driving | running route selection image 23a displayed with the navigation apparatus 1 which comprises the route information provision system 1 of this embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
[Overall structure]
As shown in FIG. 1, the route information providing system 1 according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of navigation devices 2 and a center device 3, which are communicably connected via a communication line 9.

The communication line 9 may be a communication line for road-to-vehicle communication or a communication line for a mobile phone, but is not limited thereto.
In addition, in the description of “own vehicle” and “other vehicle” in FIG. 1, for ease of explanation, the side receiving information by the route information providing system 1 of the present embodiment is “own vehicle”, and the side providing information Is a description for distinguishing from “other vehicles”, and is not fixed.
<Navigation device 2>
The navigation device 2 includes a control unit 20, a position / direction detection unit 21, a map information storage unit 22, an image display unit 23, an operation unit 24, a storage unit 25, and a communication interface unit 26.

The control unit 20 is configured by a computer device such as a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM, and executes various processes such as a route guidance process and a guidance route selection process described later.
The position / direction detection unit 21 includes a GPS receiver, a gyroscope, a vehicle speed sensor, and the like, and detects the current position and traveling direction of each vehicle on which the navigation device 2 is mounted using these.

  The map information storage unit 22 responds to a request from the control unit 20 such as a storage device such as an HDD or an IC memory that stores map information, or a reading device that reads map information from a recording medium such as a DVD that stores map information. It consists of a device that can output map information.

  As this map information, in addition to map drawing information, various facilities such as roads, intersections, and branch points displayed on the map, and facility position information associated with position information indicating the positions of these various facilities, It has information necessary for route guidance processing and other processing.

The image display unit 23 is composed of a liquid crystal display device or the like, and displays images according to various processes such as a route guidance image and a guidance route selection processing image to be described later in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 20.
The operation unit 24 is a human interface device including a plurality of button-type switches, a transparent touch panel stacked on the screen of the image display unit 23, a remote-control operation device, and the like. The control unit 20 executes various processes according to operations received by the operation unit 24.

  The storage unit 25 is configured by a storage device such as an HDD or an IC memory, and a travel locus storage area 25a that stores information about a travel locus of a vehicle on which the navigation device 2 is mounted (hereinafter referred to as “travel locus information”). Is set.

  In addition, the storage unit 25 includes attribute information (for example, information on the use of the vehicle (taxi, general car, etc.), information on the vehicle type (truck, one-box car, light car, An attribute storage area 25b is also set in which information related to the power of the vehicle (regular passenger car, etc.) (information such as electricity, gasoline, light oil) is stored.

  The communication interface unit 26 is a device that connects the navigation device 2 to the communication line 9 so that wireless communication is possible. The navigation device 2 mounted on each vehicle can communicate with the center device 3 via the communication line 9 by including the communication interface unit 26.

  In the navigation device 2 configured as described above, the control unit 20 uses the position information detected by the position / direction detection unit 21 while the vehicle is traveling, to store the travel track information related to the travel track in the travel track storage area 25a. The storing process is executed.

Each position information constituting the travel locus information is associated with time stamp information (corresponding to the travel time information of the present invention) indicating a passing time passing through each position on the travel locus.
In the following description, each navigation device 2 described in FIG. 1 will be described as having the same configuration described above, but from a navigation device that does not have a function of receiving information from the center device 3. You may comprise so that driving locus information may be collected.
<Center device 3>
The center device 3 includes a control unit 30, a storage unit 31, and a communication interface unit 32.

The control unit 30 is configured by a computer device such as a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM, and executes a guide route selection process and various processes described later.
The storage unit 31 is configured by a storage device such as an HDD or an IC memory. As the storage region, a collection information storage region 31a for storing travel locus information collected from the navigation device 2 mounted on each vehicle is provided. It has been.

  The communication interface unit 32 is a device that connects the center device 3 to the communication line 9 in a communicable manner. The center device 3 can communicate with each navigation device 2 via the communication line 9 by including the communication interface unit 32.

  Of course, the navigation device 2 and the center device 3 described above may have a configuration other than the various configurations described above. For example, the navigation device 2 may be provided with a speaker or the like for voice guidance.

  In the center device 3 described above, the control unit 30 executes a process of requesting the navigation device 2 of each vehicle to transmit the travel locus information at regular time intervals. In response to the request, the traveling locus information stored in the traveling locus storage area 25a is transmitted. The travel locus information collected by the center device 3 from each navigation device 2 is stored in the storage unit 31.

Moreover, when the control part 30 performs the process which collects this traveling locus information, the attribute information of each vehicle is transmitted from each navigation device 2 in association with it.
Therefore, in the center device 3, when the travel locus information is collected from each navigation device 2, attribute information is also stored in the collection information storage area 31 a in association with each travel locus information.
[Guidance route selection processing]
Next, a guidance route selection process executed between the navigation device 2 and the center device 3 of the host vehicle will be described with reference to FIG.

This guidance route selection process is a process executed by the navigation device 2 and the center device 3 communicating with each other.
In this guidance route selection process, a request information transmission process (S10) is performed in which request information for requesting transmission of transmission information to be described later is transmitted from the navigation apparatus 2 mounted on any vehicle to the center apparatus 3. And started.

Hereinafter, a vehicle equipped with the navigation device 2 that has transmitted the request information is referred to as a host vehicle.
Specifically, when the operation unit 24 of the navigation device 2 is operated to input a destination, the request information transmission process (S10) is detected by the information indicating the destination and the position / direction detection unit 21. The request information including the information indicating the current position of the host vehicle is created, and is executed when an operation for instructing transmission of the request information is performed on the operation unit 24.

  In the center device 3, a process of waiting until request information is received from any one of the navigation devices 2 (S12: NO) is executed in S12. When the request information is received from the navigation device 2 of the host vehicle in S10 ( S12: YES) Next, the process of S14 is executed.

Note that the processing of S12 to S30 is executed by the center device 3.
In S14, from the information indicating the destination included in the received request information and the information indicating the current position of the host vehicle, a radius of 500 m around the destination and the current position is set around the destination and the current position. A process of setting the destination range and the current position range as the range is executed.

  Next, in S16, a process of extracting travel locus information indicating a travel locus passing through the destination range and the current position range set in S14 from the travel locus information stored in the collected information storage area 31a is executed. Is done.

  In S18, a process of determining whether or not the number of pieces of travel locus information extracted in S16 is equal to or greater than a predetermined number is executed. In the present embodiment, it is determined whether or not 500 or more traveling locus information has been extracted.

  In S18, when 500 or more pieces of travel locus information are extracted (S18: YES), next, the process of S22 is executed. When the number of extraction is less than 500, the destination range and the current position range are expanded. Processing is executed (S20).

In S20, for example, a process of increasing the radius of the destination range and the current position range when the travel locus information is extracted in S16 by 250 m is executed.
In the present embodiment, 500 m is set as the initial value of the radius of the destination range and the current position range set in S14. However, when the process of S20 is repeatedly executed, the radius increases by 250 m.

  If the length of the radius exceeds a certain length (for example, 1500 m), even if the number of pieces of travel locus information is less than a certain number, the process of S22 is immediately executed without shifting to S20 in S18. It may be.

  In S14, the initial value of the radius when setting the destination range and the current position range is set to 500 m. However, the initial value is not limited to this, and may be, for example, 250 m, 750 m, or 1000 m.

  In S20, the radius for setting the destination range and the current position range is increased by 250 m. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the radius may be increased by 100 m or 200 m.

Next, in S22, a process of selecting each travel locus information extracted in S16 for each item that follows the same travel route is executed.
For example, as shown in FIG. 3A, travel locus information indicating that the vehicle passes through the start points of a1 to a3 included in the current position range A and the end points of h1 to h3 included in the destination range B. When each traveling locus passes through the passing points b to g between the destination range and the current position range, the traveling route 1 that follows a1 → b → h1 and a2 → c → h2 Traveling route 2 following, traveling route 3 following a2 → d → c → h2, traveling route 4 following a2 → d → h2, traveling route 5 following a3 → e → h3, traveling following a3 → f → g → h3 A process of selecting the travel locus information for each route 6 is executed.

The starting points a1 to a3, the ending points h1 to h3, and the passing points b to g may be positions such as intersections, branch points, and interchanges, but are not limited thereto.
Next, in S24, a process of counting the number of travel locus information belonging to each travel route 1-6 for each travel route 1-6 selected in S22, that is, traveling on each travel route 1-6. The number of other vehicles is counted.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3B, the number of other vehicles that employ each route is counted for each of the routes 1 to 6. In FIG. 3 (b), the number of vehicles adopting travel route 1 is 30, travel route 2 is 126, travel route 3 is 82, travel route 4 is 239, travel route 5 is 45, travel route. An example in which 6 is 8 is shown.

  Next, in S26, a process of calculating a representative travel time that is a predicted travel time when traveling on each travel route 1 to 6 based on time stamp information associated with position information indicating each travel locus information is performed. Executed.

However, in the present embodiment, the processing of S26 is not performed for a travel route (travel route 6 in the present embodiment) in which the number of adopted vehicles is less than a certain number (10 in the present embodiment).
This representative travel time may be an average time of travel time of other vehicles that have traveled on the travel routes 1 to 5, or within a certain range from the median travel time of all the vehicles that have traveled on the travel routes 1 to 5. It is good also as the average time of the travel time which has this error.

It is preferable that the representative travel time is excluded if the travel time is clearly long when traveling on the same travel route 1 to 5 due to a detour or the like.
In S26, the ratio (adopting rate) with respect to the total number extracted in S16 is also counted for the number of vehicles that have traveled on each selected route. In this embodiment, since the total number is 530, the adoption rate of each of the travel routes 1 to 5 is 6% for the travel route 1, 24% for the travel route 2, 15% for the travel route 3, 45% for the travel route 4, The travel route 5 is 8% (rounded off after the decimal point).

  Further, in S26, the number of vehicles and the rate of adoption may be calculated in more detail for each type of vehicle using each of the travel routes 1 to 6 based on the attribute information associated with each travel locus information.

For example, with respect to the travel route 4, it may be counted that there are 100 ordinary cars, 50 taxis, 89 other cars, and the like.
Next, in S28, processing for creating transmission information is executed.

  In the present embodiment, the transmission information is information in which information on the travel routes 1 to 5 excluding the travel route 6 is integrated into one, and the route information of each travel route 1 to 5 for each of the travel routes 1 to 5. , Representative travel time information, adopted number information, and adoption rate information are associated with each other.

  Among these, in the present embodiment, for the route information of the travel routes 1 to 5, the travel routes 1 to 5 serving as marks for selecting the travel routes 1 to 5 based on the travel locus information belonging to the travel routes 1 to 5. The positions of intersections, branch points, etc. on 5 are extracted and these positions are associated with each other.

Next, in S30, processing for transmitting the transmission information created in S28 to the navigation device 2 of the host vehicle that has transmitted the request information in S10 is executed.
In the navigation device 2 of the own vehicle that has received this transmission information, the processing from S32 is executed.

  In S32, as shown in FIG. 4, based on the transmission information received from the center apparatus 3, a travel route selection image 23a showing a plurality of travel routes 1 to 5 from the current position to the destination is displayed on the image display unit 23. Displayed on the screen.

  The travel route selection image 23a shows the travel routes connecting the routes 1 to 5, the starting points a1 to a3 of each route, the current position, and the end points h1 to h3 of each route and the destination, with line drawings on the map. It is an image. In FIG. 4, the map is omitted.

  When S32 is executed, the processes of S34 to S38 are performed until an operation for selecting any one of the travel routes 1 to 5 displayed on the image display unit 23 is executed on the operation unit 24. Repeatedly executed.

  Further, a route connecting the start points a1 to a3 of each route with the current position and the end points h1 to h3 of each route and the destination may be searched by each navigation device 2 or may be searched by the center device 3. It may be.

  In S34, when the operation unit 24 is operated and an input for selecting a display mode is performed, in S36, the input in S34 is displayed on the image indicating each of the travel routes 1 to 5 displayed on the image display unit 23. The display mode is displayed accordingly.

  Specifically, when an input for selecting the travel time mode is made in S34, in S36, as shown in FIG. 4A, each travel route 1-5 is associated with each travel route 1-5. The representative travel time when traveling is displayed in association with each other.

  Further, when an input for selecting the adoption rate mode is performed in S34, in S36, as shown in FIG. 4B, the travel routes 1 to 5 are employed corresponding to the travel routes 1 to 5, respectively. The ratio to the total number of other vehicles is displayed.

  In addition, for each travel route 1-5, by using incidental information, the adoption rate of each travel route 1-5 of taxi, the adoption rate of ordinary cars, the adoption rate of large cars, the adoption rate of small cars, etc. are necessary Various information may be displayed accordingly.

  If it is determined in S38 that the operation unit 24 is operated and an operation for selecting any one of the travel routes 1 to 5 displayed on the image display unit 23 is performed (S38: YES), the process of S40 is performed. Is executed.

In S40, a process for performing route guidance along any one of the travel routes 1 to 5 determined to have been selected in S38 is executed.
This route guidance is general. For example, in S40, any one of the travel routes 1 to 5 selected in S38 and a mark indicating the position of the host vehicle detected by the position / direction detection unit 21 are displayed. Then, route guidance that is performed by displaying on the map drawn based on the map information stored in the map information storage unit 22 is executed to the destination.
[Characteristic Effects of the Route Information Providing System 1 of the Present Embodiment]
In a general navigation device, when searching for a travel route from a current position to a destination, an exemplary travel route is searched based on a predetermined rule and route guidance is performed based on the travel route. Often.

  However, if the navigation device 2 employing the route information providing system 1 of the present embodiment is used, it is shown what travel route 1-5 the other vehicle is moving from the current position to the destination. When the driver of the host vehicle moves from the current position to the destination, the driver can select a flexible travel route that deviates from the above-described certain rules.

Then, route guidance according to any of the selected travel routes 1 to 5 is possible.
Moreover, if the navigation apparatus 2 employing the route information providing system 1 of the present embodiment is used, when various modes are selected, various conditions (representative travel time, adoption rate, etc.) when traveling on each travel route 1 to 5 are selected. ) Is displayed, so if you want to select a travel route that other vehicles use a lot, or if you want to reach the destination as soon as possible, you are not familiar and the adoption rate is not high, but there is a track record of adoption of other vehicles For example, when it is desired to select a travel route, various travel routes 1 to 5 can be selected according to the situation at the time and the preference of each driver.

In addition, when there is a travel route having a shorter travel time to the destination than when traveling on the guide route searched by the above-described certain rule, it is possible to select the travel route.
(Other embodiments)
In the above embodiment, the number of pieces of travel locus information extracted in S16 is 500. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The number of extraction is set in advance, but may be 1000, 5000, or the like.

  In the above embodiment, when the number of travel locus information extracted in S18 is small, in S20, the destination range and the current position range are expanded to increase the number of travel locus information. You may make it extend the time range which extracts locus | trajectory information.

Specifically, in the initial setting (S14), when the travel locus information received from the navigation device 2 of the other vehicle is used within one hour before the time when the request information is transmitted, the number of travel locus information is small (S18: NO), it may be set to extract the travel locus information received within one and a half hours before the time when the request information is transmitted (S20), and the time range for extracting the travel locus information may be expanded.
(Correspondence between the present invention and this embodiment)
The current position detection means of the present invention corresponds to the position / direction detection unit 21 of the present embodiment, the destination designation means corresponds to a process of inputting information about the destination using the operation unit 24, and the range setting means of S14 It corresponds to processing.

The travel locus storage means of the present invention corresponds to the collected information storage area 31a of the present embodiment, the sorting means corresponds to the process of S22, and the display means corresponds to the processes of the image display unit 23 and S32.
The travel time setting means of the present invention corresponds to the process of S26 of the present embodiment, the adoption rate calculation means corresponds to the process of S24, and the travel locus recording means corresponds to the travel locus storage area 25a.

The communication means of the present invention corresponds to the communication interface unit 26 of the present embodiment, and the route guidance means corresponds to the process of S40.
(Conclusion)
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment as long as it matches the gist of the invention described in the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Route information provision system 2 ... Navigation apparatus 3 ... Center apparatus 9 ... Communication line 20 ... Control part 21 ... Position direction detection part 22 ... Map information storage part 23 ... Image display part 23a ... Traveling route selection image 24 ... Operation part 25 ... Storage section 25a ... Traveling track storage area 25b ... Attribute storage area 26 ... Communication interface section 30 ... Control section 31 ... Storage section 31a ... Collected information storage area 32 ... Communication interface section

Claims (6)

Current position detecting means (21) for detecting the current position of the host vehicle;
Destination designation means (24) for designating the destination;
Range setting means (S14) for setting a destination range and a current position range around the destination and the current position based on the information about the destination and the current position;
Traveling locus storage means (31a) for storing traveling locus information relating to the traveling locus of a plurality of other vehicles;
Sorting means (S22) for selecting a plurality of travel trajectories passing through the destination range and the current position range for each same travel route based on the travel trajectory information;
Display means (23, S32) for displaying a plurality of travel routes selected by the sorting means;
A route information providing system comprising: The route information providing system according to claim 1,
A travel time setting means (S26) for setting a representative travel time which is a travel time expected when traveling on each of the travel routes;
The travel locus storage means stores travel time information when the other vehicle travels the travel locus in association with each travel locus information,
The travel time setting means calculates the representative travel time based on the travel time information corresponding to the travel trajectory information selected for each of the travel routes,
The route information providing system, wherein the display means displays the representative travel time corresponding to each travel route. In the route information providing system according to any one of claims 1 and 2,
Employment rate calculating means (S24) for calculating an adoption rate, which is a ratio of the number of travel tracks selected for each travel route, with respect to the total number of travel tracks passing through the destination range and the current position range. Prepared,
The route information providing system, wherein the display means displays the adoption rate corresponding to each of the travel routes. In the route information providing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The other vehicle is
A travel locus recording means (25a) for recording the travel locus information;
The travel locus storage means is
A route information providing system for collecting and storing the travel locus information from the travel locus recording means of each of the other vehicles. A navigation device used in the route information providing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The present position detection means, the destination designation means, and a display means,
A navigation apparatus comprising a communication means (26) for communicating with a center apparatus comprising the range setting means, the travel locus storage means, and the sorting means. The navigation device according to claim 5, wherein
A navigation apparatus comprising route guidance means (S40) for executing route guidance when any one of the travel routes displayed on the display means is selected.

Images